Spring Reset: Basics of End-of-Winter Gear Care

It’s no surprise that this winter was disappointing. At Arizona Snowbowl, and across the entire West, a lack of precipitation plus marginal temperatures created warm and dry conditions that left winter recreationalists baffled and communities nervous about low snowpack. For those of us who still chose to ski and snowboard where we could, you might have noticed that your gear took a beating. Thin coverage, surprise patches of rocks and dirt, and mid-season ice are not kind to equipment; this means that now is the time to show your gear some love before it disappears into your closet or garage for the summer.

A little end-of-season care goes a long way. It protects your investment, saves you money next season, and helps keep you skiing or riding as safe as possible. 

There are many things you can do yourself to get your gear ready for storage. Some of these are easily done yourself, while others you may want to ask a professional to complete for you. 

Common Damages to Equipment

Low-snow years are tough on skis and snowboards. When coverage is inconsistent, icy, or simply thin, your gear is far more likely to get damaged. Some common issues include:

• Scrapes and gouges to the base from hitting exposed rock, dirt, branches, or other debris. 
• Dehydrated bases (AKA lack of wax) from friction and heat, as well as sub-optimal, abrasive conditions like cold, dry, or icy snow that strip wax away quickly.
• Burrs, dents, or cracks to edges, caused by hitting rocks or branches. 
• In some severe cases, core shots: large gouges that go through the base material and into the core material of the ski or snowboard. Core shots are considered serious and sometimes dangerous, requiring immediate repair to prevent water damage or delamination. 

Base Repair

If your bases are scratched, gouged, or just looking tired, now is the time to address it. Superficial scratches that haven’t penetrated deeply into the base material can often be repaired by applying a hot wax and/or performing a base grind to smooth them over. 

Deeper scrapes that catch on your fingernail will require more work. Here, you will need to use P-tex, a meltable plastic that can fill divots and gouges in your ski or snowboard base. P-tex sticks can be widely purchased, including here at Peace Outfitters, and is relatively easy to use. However, it is not recommended to do it on your own at first; rather, have a more experienced friend help you, or drop them your gear off with our ski techs so that they can take a look. 

Oftentimes, it is necessary to perform a base grind in these scenarios. Base grinds help flatten uneven bases, remove shallow scratches, and restores structure for better performance in upcoming seasons. In the case of serious scrapes, our ski techs will often perform a base grind, then fill in existing gouges with P-tex, and then lay down a hot wax.

Core shots, finally, are one of the most severe of repairable damages that can occur to your skis or snowboard. They usually require a professional repair, involving the use of P-tex or a mixture of P-tex and epoxy, followed by a hot wax. If your skis or snowboard has a core shot, do not wait to get it repaired. If moisture penetrates the wood or fiberglass core, it can lead to swelling, rotting, or other structural damage that can become unrepairable. This also makes it extremely dangerous to ski or ride on a core shot. Luckily, core shots are easily recognizable. You will see a deep gouge that reveals a different color or material below the base of the ski or board. 

End-of-Season Waxes

After you’ve repaired any damages to the bases and/or edges of your equipment, it’s time to perform an end-of-season wax. Also known as a storage wax, an end-of-season wax is a thick, protective layer of wax applied to the bases before storing them during the off-season. It will prevent the bases from becoming dehydrated and protect against rusting edges, helping to ensure that your equipment is ready to go for the following winter. 

It is important to leave this wax on all summer, instead of scraping off excess after laying it down. You will scrape and brush at the start of next season for a fresh, fast base. If you are unsure of this process, our experienced ski techs at Peace Outfitters can perform a storage wax for you. 

Boots Care

While your skis or snowboard bears the brunt of wear and tear throughout the season, it is important to take care of your boots as well. They’ve been working hard, too, after all. 

Before storing your boots away for the off-season, make sure to do the following: 

• Clean any dirt or mud off them, especially from the soles where they fit into your bindings.
• Dry them out completely (including removing liners to dry, if possible).
• Buckle them up completely and tightly to prevent them from deforming.
• Then, store them in a cool, dry environment (NOT your car or loosely in your garage!)

Moisture and heat are your main enemies here. If you treat your boots right now, they’ll hold their fit and performance much longer.

How and Where to Store Your Gear

Properly storing your gear is quick and easy, and will keep your gear happy and healthy for seasons to come. No professional skills required! Follow these general parameters:

• Indoors inside a cool and dry space, out of direct sunlight
• Avoid garages or attics that get extremely hot or damp
• Keep gear off concrete floors if possible
• Store skis and boards flat or upright without pressure on tips/tails
• For skis, leave your DINs at their normal setting – no need to adjust them during storage

End-of-Season Tech Work at Peace Outfitters

If you, like many of us, skied over a few too many rocks at Arizona Snowbowl this season, your gear could likely use some love. At Peace Outfitters, we have a nearly full-service ski shop with a team of knowledgeable, experienced technicians. They are happy to perform the necessary work your gear needs to ensure your skiing or riding smoothly come next winter. Our services include P-tex repair, base grinds, edge tuning, hot waxes, and storage waxes. See below for our pricing:

• Quick wax: $10
• Hot wax: $15
• Edge and wax: $30
• Edge work: $20
• Basic tune: $45
• High performance tune: $55

After a season like this, a professional tune is wise to help get your gear back to where it should be. Please note that we are not able to tune, repair, or mount ski bindings. 

Looking Toward Spring and Summer

Across the West, the weather has warmed up dramatically. Late March brought record-breaking highs through a widespread heat dome that is likely to melt off what little snowpack remained in Northern Arizona. This means that it’s time to start thinking about camping, climbing, hiking, and backpacking season. Whether you’re looking to upgrade your trail runners, invest in a new tent, or try out a different climbing harness, Peace Outfitters has you covered. We also rent our camping and backpacking equipment, including a Backpacking Kit tailored toward Grand Canyon backpacking, such as trips down to Havasupai. 

This warm weather also means that we must be diligent about the impacts of recreation. After a warm and dry winter, the chances of having a larger fire season run high. Pay close attention to forest and road closures across Coconino National Forest, as well as fire bans. As always, remember to drown your campfire ‘dead out.’ 

See you out there!